Milwaukee, WI- Mount Mary and Blackburn engaged in a back and forth contest on Sunday evening at the Bloechl Center. MMU trailed by 4 at the break but turned things around in the second half to knock off the visiting Beavers by a score of 81-78. The win was Mount Mary's first over a current NCAA opponent since December 17, 2019, snapping a streak of 34 straight defeats.
The Blue Angels came out hot and held an 11 point lead at the end of the first quarter. Blackburn came back strong in the second and the Beavers took a 41-37 lead into the break. The second half was a back and forth affair featuring runs by both teams and several lead changes. With MMU leading 77-72, it looked as though things were in hand for a Blue Angel win, Blackburn would score the next four points however and it took two clutch foul shots from Deja Rivers to give MMU an 81-78 lead, which would be the game's final score.
Rivers played her finest collegiate game, in what has been a great start to her college basketball career. She scored 26 points, including several clutch interior baskets, and grabbed 17 rebounds, many of which secured key defensive stops for the Blue Angels. She shot 10-21 from the floor and added six assists.
Skye Giddings scored 17 points, highlighted by two clutch fourth quarter three point shots which turned the momentum in Mount Mary's favor. Giddings just missed a double double, as she grabbed 9 rebounds and passed out four assists.
India Lucas has consistently been among MMU's leaders in rebounding and assists, on Sunday evening she also contributed 15 points and a clutch 3 point shot of her own in the fourth quarter, she shot 3-4 for the game behind the arc. To go with her 15 points, Lucas added eight assists, 4 rebounds and four steals. Talesa Campbell scored 13 points to go with 8 rebounds and 4 assists, and Alexus Hatcher dropped in 8 points and grabbed four rebounds.
Off the bench, Brandi Mathias contributed two key offensive rebounds, one followed by an assist leading to a key Rivers interior basket.
Overall it was a balanced team win for the Blue Angels, as they dished out 23 assists as a team and only turned the ball over nine times.
Mount Mary (4-9) has now won three straight home contests, and the young Blue Angel team continues to play a promising and competitive brand of basketball. Following Christmas break, the Blue Angels will have 2 more home games before an extended streak of contests away from the Bloechl center. The first will be Saturday, December 31st, when Mount Mary hosts the Prairie Fire of Knox College. All Mount Mary Basketball coverage can be found on www.mtmaryathletics.com
